Emily's Slouch Bag

 

I tried out a new purse pattern today. I'm pretty picky about my purses, and I have made a couple. The one I'm using right now is embarrassingly worn, if truth be told. It's time to make another.

A friend of mine found this slouch bag pattern online, and wanted to try it out. I liked the look of it, and thought I would give it a try too.

Emily's Slouch Bag

So here's the bag I finished today. It is a light denim on the outside, and a cotton blue and tan floral on the inside. For a trial run, it went pretty well, but there are definitely things I will do differently when I make it again. And I will. Soon.

The pattern for Emily's Slouch bag

First of all, this bag is bigger than I want to carry. I added seam allowance to the pattern (plus a little, to be honest) and I think the next version will just be the pattern, and then it won't be as wide as this one. If a paperback fits, it's wide enough!

Second, I lined this one, and I'll line the next version, too. PLUS I think a little light interfacing will help it feel sturdier. 

Third, the straps definitely need to be longer. I cut them longer than the pattern, I thought, but when I looked again at the pattern pieces, I noticed that there is a section missing. Dang it!  This version will be fine as a shoulder bag, but I like a hands-free cross body bag. I've never had the strap on a shoulder bag stay on my narrow shoulders and it always makes the bag more of a hassle.

Finally, when I sewed this one together, I didn't do it in the right order. This is a lined bag, and some how, I didn't remember ALL THOSE BAGS I'VE SEWN, sewing the outer layer and the inner lining layer, and then sewing them together. 

Some of the features that I WILL keep? Pocketses, (Hobbitses need their pocketses...) of course. 

Pockets along the side panel

And

A pocket for bigger stuff, too

I love pockets in a purse! Along with those, I currently have some rings that I can clip my keys to, and a handy dandy take along shopping bag that comes is awesome.

So is this bag a fail? Sorta. I mean, I won't be using it. On the other hand, it is a perfectly serviceable bag, so I'll be donating it to the almost always ongoing bag collection at Cruces Creatives from Charitable Crafting. Am I disappointed? Sorta. I mean I need a new purse, but I'm still going to make one. I learned a lot making this one, and I think the next one will be a keeper.

Bunny Wardrobe, Part 2

 

I finished up the bunny wardrobe pieces that I have been working on , and posted about earlier. I keep thinking I will do a bunny mix and match outfit photo shoot, to include in this post, but I keep NOT doing it. So, I'm writing this anyway, and sharing some of the finishes and we'll all pretend that the photo shoot was fabulous. Maybe bunny recipient will have fun playing bunny model photo shoot, and I can share that (or at least they will, right?)

I finished up the rust colored set of garments, which included my first ever pleated bunny skirt.

Pleated skirt with blouse

While I like the pleats for a change of pace, it just doesn't  show the same aesthetic fullness of the gathered skirts. Still, I'm glad I tried it, and I'm not ruling out the possibility of making another. 

The rust set included this skirt and top, and two pairs of bloomers, one of which was sorta poofy and the other pair was very poofy. Because bunnies need options, that's why. There is also a reversable vest, with the yellow fabric on one side. The vest got embellished with a bee on the rust side, and a gathering of flowers on the yellow side.

A little bunch of daisies

I had some trim that i just stitched on to cover the stitches the attached a little bee applique on the other side. The little bee looks like this one, that I added to the tie on yellow collar (also because bunnies need options).

Happy little bee

I think the collar will be a cute addition to the yellow top under the dotted dress. Speaking of which, I was offered this perfect flower applique along with the cute little bees.

A cute little flower to tempt the bees

I placed the bee on the collar so it would look like it was headed for the flower when they are worn together. I know, right? I don't always embellish stuff, but when I do, it's often because someone said, "wouldn't it be cute if...?" 

The next step for these outfits is to be entered into the fair this year. After that, they will get packed up and mailed to the person who thought they probably needed a bunny with some cute outfits. 

WHAT?? A Dinosaur Unicorn? Of Course I'll Make That!

 

What if I start off with a picture of the finished piece this time! You know you want to see it!

The cuteness, right?

So I made this for someone who loves dinosaurs. As one does. I got the pattern from this book of cuteness:

The same book that I got the turquoise dragon from

I'm sensing a turquoise theme here, and it doesn't hurt, does it.

Bobby the Dinocorn

I think you probably want to look at the pictures, and see kind of how this dinosaur came together.

First up, the head

Body, belly, and legs. Love the head tilt

And the arms

The ears!

The tail, then the horn, and the flowers

I like the flowers so much that I had to make some extras to add to the hat of the Ring Toy Sheep! 

Here's the before

And, the after!

Enjoy making stuff!

Bunny Wardrobe in the Works

 

I've been working on bunnies recently, and my current bunny related project is a mix and match wardrobe for my aunt's bunny. I started with a stack of fabrics, and much like what happens when I'm sewing clothes for people, I did my least favorite part (cutting out) all at one time.

An array of garments in various fabrics

The fabrics look to me like they will play well together to make a wide variety of outfits. It was kinda hard to decide where I would start... but I went with the rusty dots, since it was only one garment, an overdress.

Here she is, modelling

 The next set I did was the bees. When I picked up that fabric, I thought it was very cute, with chubby little bees on it... but I know how people are with insects, and especially bees, so I wondered it a whole dress would be too much. So, I made a skirt, and a top (with really puffy sleeves, and I think it turned out pretty well!

They are bee-having!

Then it was the yellow fabric's turn. Another skirt and top (not as puffy and a pair of bloomers. Also, I made a tie on collar. It's nice to have options, right? Also I thought the collar would be cute with the overdress.

So cheerful!

It is almost impossible to see in these pictures, but there is a little viney print on this yellow fabric, and I have some very cute white flower buttons I'd like to add here and there. Or a little but of daisy trim. Maybe on the waistband and the armbands on the sleeves?  I'll have to see... Opinions anyone?

Finally, I'm working on the rusty colored solid pieces. A shirt, a skirt (pleated this time, experimentally) and two pairs of pantaloons, one slightly poofy, and one pair more poofy. There is also a reversable vest, rust on one side, yellow on the other.

 I hope you can picture some of the variations and possibilities with these pieces working together in different combinations. I haven't had them made long enough to do a possibilities fashion show even for myself! And, of course the rusty solid pieces aren't even all finished yet! The made good progress towards that today, though.

I've had this little bunny jumper done for a while. It makes a change for the whole wardrobe, though.

In the front, it's a cute sailor type collar, in the back, ladybug wings

My aunt is patiently waiting for her bunny. I hope she can wait until after the fair! I would really like to enter this bunny and her wardrobe. I did warn her that might happen...

Basket Full of Projects

 

I finished a couple of projects today. Some that had been sitting in my project basket for a bit. My making process, especially for sewing, includes a cutting out day. Cutting out is my least favorite part of sewing, and I will usually decide on a variety of projects, and then spend a day or two cutting out those projects, and then when I feel like sewing, I can pick something from the stack and SEW it! 

Handy Dandy projects!

The projects are gathered together, and easy for me to find that way. When I cleaned my sewing room earlier this year, I found a few projects that I had set aside before I used the basket. The basket bunny dress was one of those projects. See it back in the basket, waiting on me to sew on the bottom ruffle?

These quilt blocks are another.

Blue star block

Evidently I had only cut enough of the background fabric for one block. but I had cut more pieces for the other parts and here is another version.

Same basic block, doesn't look the same

I got an accuquilt fabric cutter for my birthday, and I want to get some of the dies I got cut out and work on them some, so I thought finally sewing these together would get me ready for that.

Most of the projects in the basket right now are kid's clothes projects. One of the Charitable Crafting yearly projects has been making kid's clothes and donating them to a charity that had collected clothes so kids could choose them before school started. But the charity had to close their kid's room. Then they worked with schools to help them have clothes closets. Many of our clothes last summer were donated to helping families affected by a large fire here in NM. There were still several garments that hadn't been ready to donate when that happened, so I recently gathered those up and donated them to one of our local elementary schools. This week, I finished a little dress that will go in our next clothes closet donation.

Kid's Clothes!

I really like sewing for kids. I feel like fun fabrics are welcome, and I try to stick to "timeless" looks.

Having my project basket lets me have projects ready to work on when I want to work on something. Each part of the project in its own time.

Ready, Set Go!

 

I'm getting some new projects underway. When I post about a project I often have thought about it from beginning to end. SOMETIMES, projects can sit, waiting, for a while before I get to them, and whatever thought process there once was is gone. 

baskets of spring flowers

This dress, for instance. I cut it out a while back (I'm talking years back), and while I put the collar together, and put it in the bodice, that's as far as I got until this week. Now, it just needs the bottom ruffle to be ready for SPRING! 

This evening, instead of finishing it (it is nothing if not patient), I consulted my planning list, and cut out some bunny clothes. My aunt requested a bunny, and I am in the process of making a wardrobe for it. Why? Well, the wardrobe is part of the fun for me.

An array of bunny clothes to be

I've made bunnies several times over the course of about 40 years (OH MY GOSH!! Has it really been that long? Yes, yes it has!) and I think my outfitting of the bunnies has evolved. The dress at the top is definitely from a while ago. It follows one of the patterns I have just so. That fabric, too. And muslin accents. OK, to be fair, I can still go for some muslin. These latest bunnies have had some experimentation. There is something to be said for that super gathered dress. It is cute. But lots of things are cute, right? I've tinkered with the patterns. Turned bodices into shirts, turned bloomers into pants. Made a vest or two. So, now there are some separates going on. I experimented with elastic waisted skirts, but this time, I'm trying a waistband. Some pieces still have that extreme gathering, and some have less. It is fun to experiment!

I made a vest that has ladybug wings

Two different versions of ladybug outfits.

This bunny has a collar that is wings in the back

So, on with the creation! On with the learning process! On with the fun!

Oh, yeah, and on the crochet front, I started this cute dinocorn. A dinosaur unicorn? Yes, please!

Another request in turquoise!

Hope you can find your happy place too!

More Eye Monsters

 

It is time for another eyeball monster. This time, it isn't quite a spider, but maybe an eye bug?

Ever feel like something is watching you?

This time, it's mostly about those legs. I mean. THOSE LEGS! They are what's cool and what's creepy about this monster. You can't really tell for sure from this photo, but there are six legs. More of an eye bug than an eye spider. I thought I would go for eight when I started, but there are a couple of reasons that it worked out to be six. First, I used all of the skein of that variegated that I had, and had to fill in a little with some of the orange on a couple of the legs. And really? six was plenty to have to make. Not quite as repetitive as the dragon spines, and they got easier as I practiced making them, but I was definitely ready to move on to something else. Plus, they are placed pretty close together, here, aren't they?

top view for leg counting

The pattern suggested leg options, like stuffing them or putting in a wire, or both. I opted for wire. Pipe cleaners (fuzzy craft wire these days?) are what I used, and if you pose the legs, they will keep their position pretty well. I did not use stuffing, but if you did, you should stuff as you go, I think, and really a light stuffing, but stuffing and the pipe cleaners would fight and be hard to have both. I also bought some armature wire, which is more substantial than the pipe cleaners. I think if you really wanted the legs to hold the eye up more, you would want to use that, and you might have to have the wire travel through the body and down one of the other legs. The book suggested  a front right to back left sort of pattern. For this monster, I'm satisfied with the pipe cleaners, although who knows what the future of eye bugs may hold. I do still have that armature wire, after all.

This is the second eyeball I've made, and I was pretty happy with how the eye turned out. 

Ready for a close up!

After I did the iris, with the shiny plastic safety eye in the center, I did a row of the light orange, followed by a row of the dark orange, which dropped into the lighter color every third stitch. I really like the depth of color that added, and I'll try that again. I was surprised that the eyelid was a little loose this time, but not too bad, and I was careful to sew into the eyeball to keep everything in place.

I'm going to be working through this book for a while! SO MANY MONSTERS!

So Much FUN!